Wedding snap of groom’s wandering eye

Wedding snap of groom’s wandering eye

Getting married is about celebrating true love but this bride played second fiddle to her husband's true passion on their wedding night.

Consummating the relationship wasn't the top item on cricket fan Hasan Tasleem's list of priorities after saying "I do". Instead, he had his eyes set on a different prize.

Living in America, Pakistan supporter Tasleem rarely gets to watch the sport he loves so when the opportunity arises to catch any sort of cricket, he takes it - even if it interrupts what should be the best day of his life.

The newly married man sent a photo and a note to the International Cricket Council (ICC) reflecting on the moment he came home from his wedding to find out Pakistan was playing Australia in the first game of their three-match T20 series at the SCG on the weekend.

There was only one thing to do.

"Hello, as a diehard cricket fan, I wanted to submit a photo from my wedding this past weekend," Tasleem wrote in his letter to the ICC. "As per tradition, after the completion of the wedding the bride is brought back home for a little traditional welcoming ceremony amongst the close family.

"As we came home (around midnight in Detroit, Michigan, USA) the Pakistan vs Australia T20 game was getting underway.

"Over the years residing in North America I've stayed up at all sorts of odd hours of night to catch Team Pakistan play.

"Even though it was my wedding night, I wasn't going to miss this game."

Tasleem's news caught the attention of Cricinfo journalist Melinda Farrell, who tweeted: "Late to this but I'm not even sure what to make of it."

Unfortunately for Tasleem, the match ended on a sour note when it was called off because of rain and Pakistan went on to lose game two of the series in Canberra, leaving it needing to win the final match in Perth to square the series.

SMITH CAPTAINCY TALK WON'T GO AWAY

The captaincy questions keep coming for Steve Smith as another Australian leader-in-waiting prepares to put his best foot forward.

Smith's leadership ban expires in March and debate has swirled in recent weeks about whether he should again head up the Test side once incumbent skipper Tim Paine retires.

Smith has consistently played a straight bat when asked about his leadership aspirations, saying it is far from his thinking and he is enjoying just playing for Australia.

That hasn't stopped the likes of Ricky Ponting and Mark Taylor from backing him to return to the job he held up until the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal. Having won man of the series honours during a phenomenal Ashes tour, Smith has also found white-ball form with Australia's T20 side.

But the batting marvel doesn't believe being freed from the pressures of captaincy has elevated his performance.

Steve Smith’s been on fire in the shortest format this summer.

"I actually think I play better with pressure, that extra pressure when the team needs something more and things like that," Smith said in Perth ahead of Friday's third and final T20 against Pakistan at Optus Stadium.

"My record probably is better when I'm captain than when I'm not. That sort of pressure doesn't really bother me.

"But I'm not thinking about captaincy or anything at this point in time. I'm really comfortable where I'm at and I'm enjoying what I'm doing."

The Test captaincy debate has been heightened by the lack of obvious candidates other than Smith to eventually replace the 35-year-old Paine. Travis Head served as vice-captain during the Ashes but was dropped before the end of the series in a blow to his aspirations.

Pat Cummins has been touted by many as a future skipper but appears reluctant given the already heavy demands of fast bowling.

National selectors appear to be grooming Alex Carey as a future Test captain after tasking him with captaining Australia A in a tour match against Pakistan starting in Perth on Monday.

Carey will lead a strong side including Head, Usman Khawaja, Joe Burns, Will Pucovski and Nic Maddinson, all of whom are vying for selection in the first Test.

The wicketkeeper is yet to make his Test debut but is Australia's T20 and one- day international vice-captain.